Rugby legend Dan Carter ‘a little bit nervous’ putting pitch to the test at Christchurch’s new stadium
Friday, 27 March 2026
Rugby legend Dan Carter rarely missed a penalty in his Crusaders and All Blacks heyday.
At a ribbon cutting event at Christchurch’s new stadium on Friday, he showed he’s still got it - even in casual shoes and jeans and feeling, in his own words, “a little bit nervous”.
Carter put the pitch to the test, taking a kick from the 22-metre line. True to form, he didn’t miss.
“It would have been a very bad omen for the stadium if I missed or slipped over, but thankfully, it went through, so it was a successful kick, but a real honour and a privilege to be asked to be part of this opening ceremony with the first official kick,” he told The Press.
Carter went on to reveal he did an early-morning session just to make sure.
“I actually brought a backpack of rugby boots and balls, and I actually had a big kicking session here really early this morning, because - what an amazing stadium. To be running around and kicking on the turf here is, you know, a huge privilege.”
He said stadiums with roofs were the best in the world - for kickers in particular - 'where there's no wind, there's no rain, you don't have to worry about all the other elements…”
“So the fact that we've got one here in Christchurch, it's amazing and it's such a world-class stadium.”
Carter joined other rugby notables, city mayor Phil Mauger and Prime Minister Christoper Luxon to look inside One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha, which has its opening event next month.
His dad, Neville Carter, came along too – and held the ribbon as Mauger, Luxon and Arahura Araitia-Tau (Te Maire Tau’s granddaughter) cut it.
Costing $683 million, the 25,000-seat, fully covered facility is Christchurch City Council’s largest ever project.
Construction started in April 2022. Four years later, on Anzac Weekend, it will host the first public event – the Super Round weekend from April 24-26.
The opening fixture between the Crusaders and Waratahs on the Friday night sold out six months in advance. Super Rugby Pacific chief executive Jack Mesley said 13,500 fans from across New Zealand and overseas were expected to travel to Christchurch for the event. Rap star Scribe will play a Super Bowl-style half-time show during the opening match.
The Warriors’ first NRL game at the Christchurch venue against the North Queensland Cowboys on June 21 sold out in five days.
After lead contractor BESIX Watpac hands the project to the council, the next month will be filled with cleaning, system checks, turf care and staff training before the council hands it over to operators Venues Ōtautahi.
There is also an invite-only “watch party” on April 5 of the Warriors’ game in Sydney, while on April 16 more than 9000 people are expected to attend a Crusaders training event.
Last week, the OneNZ sign was lifted onto the structure, with subcontractors VIP Steel putting a drone up to capture the night-time view from the air.
British performer Robbie Williams will be the first international act to “christen” the stadium in November. Foo Fighters play there in January 2027.